Worn or weathered garden furniture doesn’t have to rot in the garage.
Repainting furniture is the easiest way to update the look. If you aren’t familiar with my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint obsession, prepare to be informed. Yet again chalk paint has worked its magic.
Here’s the 101: you don’t need to sand the entire surface, you don’t need primer, and it can be done in an afternoon. Seriously.
I love the solid, primitive look of sleeper benches. A brush stroke pattern was just the thing to make a simple shape a quirky part of the decor. If you want to use your bench outdoors, all you have to do is skip the waxing step.
This post was made in collaboration with MKM Building Supplies. 
Gemstones aren’t just for jewellery.
A bit of hemp and a few agate stones was just what I needed to make our bedroom a bit more casual. Our bedside lamps—make-do purchases from IKEA—were a bit sterile for my taste. And it’s a tried and true rule: lighting is the quickest way to change the mood of a room.
I made this project catching up on TV last night. Summer means it’s usually too sticky during the day to even think of crafting.
Sunny days in our house involve a constant supply of ice cold pop and an ever-growing stack of outdoorsy magazines. I love how bright and long the days are in summer. It’s my favourite time to make new decorations and try different arrangements in the house.
When Zazzle offered to send me a sample of their new custom fabric range, choosing a design was the hardest part. There are almost 150,000 patterns available. (If you love design, you can even make your own patterns too.)
Since we’re all about the outdoors this season, here’s a quick make inspired by my husband’s fishing habit. Bring the sunshine in!
Patterns are more abundant and international than ever.
I love how generous the crochet community is in sharing their ideas. Ravelry alone has over 60,000 free crochet patterns. And without Youtube tutorials, I don’t think I would have ever been able to learn to crochet.
There is a catch though. Crochet patterns don’t all use the same regional terms. If you’re a crocheter you’re probably well aware that there are two sets of terms. To make things worse, both sets use the same words to mean different things.
[table]| Converting regional crochet terms | |
|---|---|
| UK terms | US terms |
| chain / ch | chain / ch |
| double crochet / dc | single crochet / sc |
| half treble / htr | half double / hdc |
| treble / tr | double / dc |
| double treble / dtr | treble / tr |
| triple treble / ttr | double treble / dtr |
These are methods I use to tell if a crochet pattern uses US or UK terms.
When I had dinner plans the other week I realised—the day before—that I didn’t have a suitable bag.
When you’re spending the night somewhere, an overnight bag isn’t exactly practical or stylish at a restaurant table.
Instead of rushing to the shop I decided to make my own clutch. Ultimately, it was a much more satisfying choice—this way my bag was one of a kind. My latest craft obsession is combining sewing and crochet. I love how fabric and yarn complement each other.
If you need a last minute clutch too, here’s how to make your own:
